On Tragedy

As mentioned in my picks post, the Kansas City Chiefs yesterday experienced a great deal of trauma. This, occurring in the midst of a season that was already trying in a good many ways. When Scott Pioli and Romeo Crennel went in to work Saturday morning I'm sure that reality was bearing down on them. The type of reality that weighs heavily on a team with one win through eleven games. The type of reality that comes up when your fans start a "save Kansas City" movement that has more members than people who show up for your games. The type of reality that increases each week when you realize that the end result of this year will be your employer moving on without you.

By mid morning, however, I'm sure that these concerns, worries and thoughts were far from the minds of Pioli and Crennel. These two men, who inspired a great deal of vitriol from a good many persons in the greater Kansas City area, suddenly had real things to deal with. In watching a member of their team, a subordinate, kill himself on company property in front of them, these men were unexpectedly driven into a complex area.

We know that Jovan Belcher took his own life shortly after thanking these men for everything they had done for him. We know that he did this after taking his girlfriends life earlier that morning. What we don't know is why Belcher did this, or if there was even any rationale behind it. The reality is, we may never know. For the majority of us, the lack of resolution will not impede anything, as this story will fade into the news cycle. For those involved with this tragedy, however, the questions will stick forever.

I should acknowledge that this tragedy wasn't even the only NFL related trauma yesterday, as a staffer was found dead at the Cleveland Browns' facility as well. But the common thread between the two, the taking of one's life, is over shadowed by the murder involved in the Kansas City case. One of my favorite writers, Bill Simmons, stated on his twitter handle that the NFL was making a mistake by even playing the game today in Kansas City. For once, Mr. Simmons and I disagree.

I think that thus far the Chiefs have found a remarkable ability to handle everything well. This flies directly in the face of a disastrous year full of mismanagement by the Chiefs staff. The team consulted with the NFL, who initially left some of the decision to them. The team met and decided as a group they wanted to play. Crennel decided he wanted to coach. The team held a moment of silence before the game, most importantly, to remember the victims of domestic violence.

The Chiefs find themselves between a rock and a hard place in this one, for sure. First, should they have played? Having had a very (very) brief existence as an athlete in High School I can say that the effort of coming together as a team has the ability to help heal. Particularly for these men, hurt and damaged by what transpired, doing what they know is essential. To that end, as a professional who endured a tragedy, I know how hard it is to weather. I also know that the longer you wait to return to "normal" the more painful it is. The magnitude of this tragedy will stay with most of these men for their lives. But delaying the return to the life they know would do nothing but create more difficulty and more pain.

Secondly, should Crennel have coached the team? By the same logic I presented above, finding a way to return to normal can help to give room to breath. Crennel, by all accounts, is a good man (albeit not a great head coach). He most likely will carry what he saw with him the rest of his life. If he is anything like those of us who have dealt with a tragedy like this, he will always wonder "what if?". Finding a way to return his life to a semblance of normalcy, if only for a bit, will help him to deal with the very raw pain.

Finally, this is an opportunity to draw together as a fan base, and the tough choice would have been how to do it. If you are a teammate of Belcher, you knew the man and, by all accounts liked the man. If he had simply (for lack of a better word) taken his own life, this would be complex. With the murder-suicide angle, it becomes an impossible road to navigate of complex emotions. I guarantee that there are those in the Chiefs organization who desire a way to acknowledge their teammate. I know how tough the decision to handle the moment of silence must have been. I am thankful that they settled on the right option.

And so, in the end, this moment will pass, and quickly. The year will end, and Pioli and Crennel will be let go. Perhaps with more grace now, and more appreciation from the fans who have wanted them gone, but they will be let go nonetheless. The Chiefs will move on to their next group of management, and try to build a team to compete. The investigation will happen into the murder, and it will be closed. And, so crucial to consider in all of this, a little 3 month old will grow up wondering why. Thank goodness the Chiefs players, and the NFL at large, are already moving to provide for her, because her life has been put on a different track long before she had any control over the direction it was heading.

Tragedy strikes each of us differently. Some have the ability to use the tragedy to remind them of the good times they've had, and then feel joy. Some wonder why, and move on while battling for answers they will never get. Some get stuck in the tragedy, refuse to move past it, and exist in the depths of despair, constantly grieving. Tragedy, grief, and sorrow are complicated things indeed. I wish the best to those dealing with the aftershocks of these tragedies in Kansas City and Cleveland, as well as those dealing with countless other difficulties around the globe. I hope that all involved can find peace.

NFL WEEK PICKS - WEEK 13

My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved with the situation in Kansas City. Particularly, due to my line of work, my thoughts go out to the coach, GM and other Chiefs staff who witnessed Javon take his own life. Cris Carter just made a good point about NFL personnel needing to become even better crisis managers. As someone who has gone through a number of trainings on suicide prevention and crisis management, I know that it is important, but can be easier said than done.

Last week against the spread: 6-10
Last week straight up: 10-6

Season against the spread: 99-73-4
Season straight up: 122-53-1

So last week was a rough week for the picks. Even a late rally didn't help the series of bad picks that Sunday morning brought. We'll see if we can get back on the horse.

Thursday Night

Atlanta (+3.5) over New Orleans

Sunday Early

Buffalo (-6) over Jacksonville
Chicago (-3) over Seattle
Indianapolis (+7) over Detroit
Minnesota (+8) over Green Bay - Green Bay straight up
Houston (-7) over Tennessee
Kansas City (+5) over Carolina
San Francisco (-8) over St. Louis
New England (-8) over Miami
NY Jets (-6) over Arizona

Sunday Late
Tampa (+10) over Denver - Denver straight up
Oakland (+1) over Cleveland
Cincinnati (-1) over San Diego
Pittsburgh (+10) over Baltimore - Baltimore straight up

Sunday Night
 Philadelphia (+11) over Dallas - Dallas straight up

Monday Night
NY Giants (-3) over Washington